Through the first week of the NBA season, the Chicago Bulls are tied with defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder for the league lead in defensive rating. Chicago’s 104.4 mark is more than 12 points better than last season.
The Bulls rank seventh in the NBA in opponents’ field-goal percentage (44.7) and first in opponents’ three-point accuracy (26.3). Some of that success can certainly be attributed to luck, given that Chicago’s first three opponents last season ranked 17th, 18th, and 30th in three-point shooting.
Still, the Bulls are forcing opponents into a negative efficiency differential and are surprisingly stingy from nearly every zone, mid-range aside.